


Past. Present? (Future)

by LostAnthems



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Background Steve/Tony, Friendship till the end, Post-CA:TWS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 01:11:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2794328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostAnthems/pseuds/LostAnthems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He has always loved Wednesdays. It was the only day of the week when they allowed themselves to skip school, and then work, and go somewhere. Together. Why Wednesdays? I don't know. And they  don't know either. Once they decided to go to park and have a picnic instead of going to English classes, they never stopped giving themselves a day off in the middle of a week (even though it meant that they had to work on Sundays). It was theirs. </p><p>***</p><p>Written for a prompt on Tumblr :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past. Present? (Future)

That day in the middle of the week the museum was empty, besides for a few people, who weren't paying attention to two men standing side by side. 

He has always loved Wednesdays. It was the only day of the week when they allowed themselves to skip school, and then work, and go somewhere. Together. Why Wednesdays? I don't know. And they don't know either. Once they decided to go to park and have a picnic instead of going to English classes, they never stopped giving themselves a day off in the middle of a week (even though it meant that they had to work on Sundays). It was theirs. 

And now they stand side by side in front of the screen and watch videos about the time when they were other people. Young, naive, happy. They had each other and the outside world was just a setting for their friendship. No. Not friendship. Brotherhood. 

They changed a lot since then. There's almost no naivety left in Steve. He's no longer afraid of cold and he doesn't get nightmares about Bucky falling anymore. Now they are about being wiped out from his mind. And James... He got his memory back. But now he has problems with grasping who he is. Is he Bucky, kid from Brooklyn, who grew up with Steve by his side, who was ready to die for his friend? They shared history, but the boy died in those mountains. Is he the Winter Soldier? His body still takes a fighting stance when someone touches him, and sometimes he unquestioningly does what he was said to, because he was supposed to follow orders. But he is no longer that man, the machine that was made to kill. Then who is he? James Buchanan Barnes. Three-two-five-five-seven. Born in 1925. His family is dead. His best friend's name is Steve Rogers. He was brainwashed. He killed six thousand nine hundred and thirty eight people. He tried to kill his best friend. It was the first mission in almost seventy years that he failed. He ran. He was caught. He was brainwashed again, this time to try and return his memory. He has had his memory back for 58 days 3 hours and 56 minutes. He is a new man. 

"You know", he heard Steve's voice trough the haze, "we'll get used to life in the future."

He felt smirk growing on his face. "How different it is from what we thought it would be. We dreamt of peace and flying cars. But look what we get. A little less dressed and a little more open-minded people."

"Not that open-minded", Steve frowned. James took his friend's hand in his and squeezed gently, afraid of crushing bones with a weapon that his arm was. 

"At least now you don't have to hide." 

Comfortable silence fell around them. They were still looking at the screen, but not seeing a thing that was going on there. James thought of past. Steve thought of present. But no one was brave enough to think about the future. 

"We should let go."

James turned to face Steve with a questioning look in his face. "Let go of what?"

"Our past." 

James huffed out a humorless laugh. "You know that's impossible, right?"

"Why? It was seventy years ago. It's a whole new world around us and we are still stuck there."

"No. It happened just a few months back, Steve. The world has changed and that's why we will never fit in."

"That's why we should try."

"And I thought that you stopped being so naive", James smiled a little. 

"Look, Buck. I know it's hard. But can you at least try? Life will be so much easier. Maybe, we will even have our chances to be happy again."

James stood up and looked down at Steve. "You don't know even half of the things I did. These are not ones that can be forgotten."

"I'm not asking you to forget", and he stood up too. "I'm asking you to accept them and move on."

James shook his head, bowing it and letting his so long hair fall over his face. Steve placed his hands on friend's shoulders and pulled him in a hug. "We can do it."

"No. You can do it. I can't, Steve. You have Tony. He will help you. And I--"

"You have me, Buck. You've always had me."


End file.
